[Hobbit]

Hi all.

So I'm at Novacon, and meeting Brian Aldiss and Iain M Banks and Ken MacLeod and a host of others (it is tough sometimes! :) ).

It is their 40th convention: the longest continuous SF Con in the UK (I think!)

As expected, what has been asked is 'What are the Best SF novels since they started, in 1971?

Obviously we could do the general debate of 'What is Sf?' and 'What do we mean by 'best'?', but I thought I'd ask for your thoughts.

My choices (Though I bet I've forgotten something really obvious!) are:

1971 Ringworld Larry Niven (Hugo Winner)
1971 Tao Zero Poul Anderson
1985 Neuromancer William Gibson
1990 Hyperion Dan Simmons
1993 Domesday Book Connie Willis
1993 Red Mars Kim Stanley Robinson
1996 Stephen Baxter Voyage or The Time Ships (closest to Arthur C Clarke these days!)

I'm also thinking something by Peter Hamilton, Scalzi, Stross, Iain M Banks
and more recently possibly Rainbow's End, Windup Girl and/or City and the City.

But I'm digressing. I'll come back later and tell you what they thought: but for now, what do you think?

Mark

[Smitty]

I love these thread! I always grow my reading pile when they happen.

Ringworld, Tau Zero very good. I thought Hyperion was overrated.
Baxter good, Stross ok, Scalzi great (within old man universe).
Have not read Banks yet.

I imagine Pohl (Gateway) needs to be mentioned.

[cgw]

My top ten with the pre-1970 removed:
A Fire Upon the Deep, Vernor Vinge
Hyperion, Dan Simmons
Ender's Game, Orson Scott Card
Startide Rising, David Brin
Mirror Dance, Lois McMaster Bujold
Ringworld, Larry Niven

Here are some more good ones (I think they are all post 70):
'The Forever War' - Haldeman
Integral Trees – Larry Niven
Hominids - Sawyer
The Mote in Gods Eye - Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle
Doorways in the Sand – Zelazny
Altered Carbon – Morgan

[Hitmouse]

What was on the lists of Aldiss, Banks, et al?
post 1971 is curiously limiting.


Vermilion Sands (1971) JG Ballard
Dancers at the End of Time (1972-6) Michael Moorcock
Vurt (1993) Jeff Noon
The Scar (2002) China Mieville
The Shadow of the Torturer (1980) Gene Wolfe
Araminta Station (1983) Jack Vance
Neuromancer
An Iain M Banks

[psikeyhackr]

I consider The Two Faces of Tomorrow by James P. Hogan to be better than Neuromancer.

psik

[owlcroft]

Narrowing to ten is--obviously--very, very difficult. The list below was obtained in part by picking representative works from great authors whose entire oeuvre is competitive in any "top-10" listing. For example, M. John Harrison has several competitive works, from The Committed Men (which may not quite make the date deadline) through Nova Swing, and much the same is true of the others.

The list is simply alphabetical by author last name.


Auster, Paul : In the Country of Last Things
Chapman, Stepan : The Troika
Crowley, John : The Deep
Harrison, M. John : The Pastel City
Lightman, Alan : Einstein's Dreams
Piserchia, Doris : A Billion Days of Earth
Smith, Cordwainer : Norstrilia
Stableford, Brian : The Realms of Tartarus
Vance, Jack : The Face
Wolfe, Gene : The Shadow of the Torturer

[Hitmouse]

I assumed Norstrillia was pre-1971. Agree that should be in there. Would also have included Crowley's Little Big (arguably not SF) and Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

[Hobbit]

Interesting thoughts all. As this is a British fan group (admittedly scarily knowledgeable!), I suspect that the 'winners' may be British and fairly populist.

Will let you know later what they thought.

Mark

[Loerwyn]

Would The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy be one? For me it's one of the best sci-fi books I've read, not only because it's hilarious. I don't have much of an argument for it, but it's an incredibly popular book (and series) that's well integrated into modern culture - Many people could tell you what 42 is supposed to represent.

I'd also say Do Androids.. but I'm two/three years too late ;)

[Sparrow]

In no particular order... just as they come to me...

Downbelow Station by C.J. Cherryh
Fleet of Worlds by Larry Niven & Edward Lerner
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
The Lazarus Effect by Frank Herbert & Bill Ransom
The Fountains of Paradise by Arthur C. Clarke
Neuromancer by William Gibson
The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson
Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton
A Scanner Darkly by Philip K Dick
Bones of the Earth by Michael Swanwick
The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell